The invention relates to treatment apparatus of the type employed in couches for treating ailments by oscillation or vibration of the body or a part thereof.
Oscillatory couches, whereby mutually displaceable parts of a frame can be repositioned are known in various forms both for simple stress-relief and pain-relief purposes and for the planned orthopaedic treatment of the vertebrae, discs and joints.
Thus French Specification No. 1108031 describes a stretching couch which has a plurality of resiliently mounted oscillating plates on its support surface.
A vibratory support for the therapeutic or toning-up treatment of muscles and joints of the human body is disclosed in British Patent Specification No. 1260140. This is concerned with a couch, on the underside of which is arranged an electric drive motor, which powers a rotary body with an imbalance which can be adjusted and which imparts vibrations to the couch. In addition, a vibrator which can be switched on as required and has an electromagnetic drive is connected to the couch.
Also, a couch for the mechanical extension treatment of the spinal column and its bony connecting members is disclosed in Swiss Patent Specification No. 468183, this couch being swingable and having a vibration table for carrying the body of the patient, and a vibrator for vibrating this plate.
German Patent Specification No. 2713438 discloses apparatus for the treatment of the back and other parts of the human body, which apparatus takes the form of equipment for repositioning slipped discs and for the treatment of reflex zones. For this purpose, an oscillating plate is provided which has a curved supporting surface and is fitted with a number of massage studs. The oscillating plate can be displaced towards the surface of the couch. An electric drive motor, which is provided in conjunction with the resilient backing for the oscillating plate and which engages this plate by way of a crank drive, produces a circulating movement having a main component, substantially in the plane of the supporting surface.
The known forms of vibration-treatment means are capable of improvement, particularly in two respects:
(1) Optional production of main components of oscillation in different planes is not possible.
(2) The arrangement comprising drive motors connected to the oscillating plate or to its resilient mounting has proved to be unsatisfactory as regards oscillating technique and, in the case of drive motors of simple construction that participate in the vibration movements, leads to damage of the couch.